EAVE LAUNCHES THE FIRST EDITION OF EAVE PLUS!

17-09-2013

EAVE LAUNCHES THE FIRST EDITION OF EAVE PLUS!

12 experienced producers, 6 high-profile industry experts, 4 days to discuss their company structures, management practices and new business models – this is the formula of EAVE’s latest brainchild EAVE+.

Held in Luxembourg from September 19-23, 2013 at the hotel Le Place D’Armes and supported by the MEDIA Programme of the EU and the Luxembourg Film Fund, EAVE+ goes into the first round.

"I'm thrilled at the idea of all these experienced producers, locked up in a think tank situation for 4 days, trying to put their brains together in order to imagine solutions today for the challenges that awaits our industry tomorrow;" comments Jani Thiltges, EAVE’s Head of Studies.

Led by EAVE Head of Studies Jani Thiltges (Samsa Film, LU) together with EAVE+ consultant Michael Weber (The Match Factory, DE), keynote sessions by international guests will be mixed with group work session and 1-2-1 meetings.

As EAVE’s CEO Kristina Trapp states : "There was a strong demand from more experienced producers for networking at another level, being able to discuss issues of company growth and sustainabilty, rather than exchanging about individual projects. We clearly felt that the timing was right for EAVE+ and are very satisfied how well the idea was received by the industry, including the invited key note speakers."

Among the guests at the first edition of EAVE+ are US indie producer Mike S. Ryan (Greyshack Films, US), who will present the perspective from America, talking about private equity and where to find the money post 2008. Bo Ehrhardt (Nimbus Film, DK) will give a walk-through of Nimbus' many successes, failures and how to survive in an ever-changing business environment. Andrew Doherty (Doc&Co Digital, formerly Head of iTunes Europe) will talk about the future of VoD and present the current opportunities. Management coach Michael Comyn (IE) will work with the producers on leadership, management skills and personal resilience. (Exhaustive pitch of the sessions below)

Jani Thiltges :"What a great bunch of experts we managed to bring to Luxembourg! I'm sure their experiences, including their failures, will enlighten our discussions on how to become better producers."

The selected producers include: Hanneke Niens (KeyFilm, NL), producer of Oscar® nominated feature Twin Sisters, the producer of the 2013 Cannes competition title Heli, Titus Kreyenberg (unafilm, DE), Marko Röhr and Ilkka Matila of one of the leading Finnish production companys MRP Matila Röhr Productions as well as Italian producer Carlo Cresta-Dina (Tempesta, IT/UK). (Exhaustive list of participants below)

EAVE+ will be organised twice a year in Luxembourg with different keynote speakers and topics addressed at each workshop session.

EXHAUSTIVE LIST KEYNOTE SESSIONS EAVE+:

Michael Comyn: Leadership Resilience

The workshop consists of two elements - A group session where we will touch on the following four areas:

Part One - The History of Stress and Resilience?

The word stress is searched 9,140,000 times a month on Google, yet there are so many myths about the subject that affect our thinking on the subject… in this first part of the presentation we take a quick look at the history of stress and set up some of the myths for a closer look.

Part Two - The Role of Sleep and Fatigue!

We’ve spent a lot of time coaching individuals around the subject of resilience and top of the list is the challenge of getting a great night’s sleep. It can’t be overestimated how valuable proper rest is when it comes to maintaining personal resilience. We’ve drawn together the best research on the matter and plan to get you thinking about counting sheep and catching your eight hours.

Part Three - The Brain’s Role in Resilience - Meet your Amygdala!

What happens to our decision making ability in the presence of fear and or anxiety. We look at some of the sneaky things our brain gets up to when we perceive stress and what we can learn from resilient individuals when they are faced with the same challenges. We’ll visit catastrophic thinking and mind reading and a few other tricks our amygdala likes to use to get our attention.

Part Four - Immunity to Change - What we can learn from Cardiac Patients?

Cardiologists tell us that only one in seven cardiac patients are compliant with their life saving medication! So what can we do to overcome a reluctance to personal change, especially around activities like sleep, diet, exercise, relaxation and meditation. We’ll finish our presentation by running you through the well proven Immunity to Change exercises - and leave you with an insight into how to get your goals back on track.

This workshop is followed up by one to one coaching sessions with participants over the course of the event where they will get a debrief on the content of the TalentQ profiles. These profiles will be completed prior to the event.

Bo Ehrhardt: Company case study

Trial and errors from DOGMA to NORDIC NOIR

It's the history of a Danish indie production house, Nimbus Film, that will make way for a presentation as to how filmmaking, distribution and financing has undergone some radical changes through-out the last 20 years. It will be a walk-through of Nimbus' many successes, failures and how to survive in an ever changing business environment, but always with one lead focus: how to create and bring good stories to the screen.

Mike S. Ryan: The US Independents

Private Equity and the US independents

In the fall of 2008 the Real Estate bubble popped in the United States and our financial foundation was revealed to be composed of lies, false hopes and utter fiction. We then saw a simultaneous pop in the film bubble at Sundance 2009 with the plunge in film acquisition prices. Combine that with lower admissions in the under 30 year old demographic and product glut due to reduced production costs and you have a perfect storm causing industry shakeout and implosion. Yet despite the resulting increase in wealth gap between the one percent and the upper middle class, private equity investment in film is still strong and common. The 2008 collapse has caused a reordering of wealth and a new class of young billionaires has emerged that defines value and return on investment differently than the past older elite establishment. Anyone who tries to define a films value in the same terms used pre 2008 is way out of step with the expectations of current new equity investors. As content providers, how can we, creative producers, dance to this new beat or move to change the beat? How are we to reconfigure our own goals and self-perception in this new landscape? Lets talk about actual current perceptions and ways of being that are directly connected to how money is moved in this new era of arts finance. Post 2008, wealth has been re-arranged, yet there is a place at this new, more lavish table, I see that a seat is in fact being held for us.

Andy Docherty: VoD and the Future

Having launched the first video stores for iTunes in Europe, Andy Docherty will explore the current potential for premium VOD for Independent filmmakers and look to the future and where VOD is heading. There are lessons to be learnt from the last 5-6 years, which can help prepare content owners and producers for the next 5 years of upheaval. Recent advances and changes in technology have changed the face of content consumption forever and those who have embraced the change are flourishing, while those who have fought the changes and tried to preserve old world thinking, risk being left behind. What can European indies to do to respond positively to what is an uncertain playing field and maximize future opportunities.

Key Topics to be explored include:

- What is the current opportunity?

- How has technological change impacted consumption of content?

- How can indies take advantage and maximize the wider opportunity for digital?

- The future of VOD